Food Sovereignty and Fome Zero: Connecting Public Food Procurement Programmes to Sustainable Rural Development in Brazil

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135228/1/joac12131.pd

Farmers’ Markets as Social Economy Drivers of Local Food Systems

The objectives of this project are as follows: 1. To examine the literature on FMs through a social economy lens: a) To examine and compare the role of FMs in the development of local food systems in different global contexts - e.g. North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America; b) To gather information on the history of FMs in Canada, particularly BC and AB contexts (ie. origins, locations, function, organizational structure) and what influences have shaped this. What is the distribution of public, social, and private investment in supporting the development of farmer’s markets in BC/AB (land, buildings, infrastructure, administration). What actors within the social economy are taking the lead in this area, and what role do FMs play in their larger objectives/initiatives? c) To identify themes emerging from the literature regarding the successes and challenges of FMs, and if possible to assess the extent to which FMs are (or could be) a driver of community food systems. 2. To develop individual case profiles (shortened version of a case study) of FMs clustered within a regional setting in BC and AB (no more than 10 FMs in each province) in order to evaluate and compare their current and potential role in advancing local food systems, individually and as part of an interacting regionally-based network. We are particularly interested in understanding if and how a regional cluster of FMs can stimulate short supply chain development. As part of a network analysis, we will investigate a number of relevant variables such as producer marketing mobility within a regional market cluster, competition for marketing space at different FMs, and FM relationships to other local businesses and community organizations. What purposes does the FM serve beyond sales – e.g., production and marketing knowledge exchange, political networking and advocacy, building awareness about local production and consumption? What is the potential for FMs to become focal points for warehousing, processing, and other forms of distribution of local food products, including public procurement? 3. To establish a Delphi method of inquiry in order to engage a group of experts (e.g., producers/vendors, FM managers, FM association representatives, academics, government representatives) in: 1) assessing the prospects for, and conditions affecting, FMs becoming a driver of the re-localization of food systems in BC and AB in the coming decade; and 2) proposing criteria for the success of FMs in this role in BC and AB. For further details on this method see attached appendix.There is growing interest in the re-localization of food systems. Farmers’ markets are important and increasingly prevalent sites of economic and social exchange in the evolution of local food systems. Little is understood, however, about the role of farmers’ markets in fostering increased local production and consumption, or the broader impacts of these social economy enterprises on the communities (both urban and rural) and regions with which they are associated. The goal of this research is to examine and compare the current and potential role of farmers’ markets in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, as social economy drivers for local food systems.BC-Alberta Social Economy Research Alliance (BALTA

Neoliberal natures on the farm: Farmer autonomy and cooperation in comparative perspective

The struggle over autonomy in farming is emblematic of the philosophical and practical tensions inherent in solving multi-scalar environmental issues. We explore the multiplicities of autonomy through comparative case studies of agricultural cooperation in England, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Brazil, which allow consideration of the implications of a range of approaches to managing farmed environments under different variations of neoliberalism. The original data emerge from separate projects examining aspects of cooperative autonomy in relation to the effects of the neoliberalisation of nature in agriculture. The comparative examination of autonomy and cooperation across distinct agri-food contexts highlights diversity in the social, ecological and economic outcomes of alternative forms of agri-environmental governance. This analysis provides a sobering corrective to both the over-romanticization of cooperation across global peasant movements and the over-romanticization of the individual entrepreneur in agroindustrial and family farming sectors. Our examination highlights the need for greater attention to the relationships between actors at and across different scales (the farm level, organizations and communities, the state, and industry) to understand how, in contrasting contexts of neoliberalisation, alternative conceptions of autonomy serve to mediate particular interventions and their material environmental consequences. A focus on actual autonomy, via the peasant principle and territorial cooperatives, creates an opening in theoretical and political dialogue to bridge concerns about farmers, livelihoods, and environmental outcomes

Farmers’ Markets as Social Economy Drivers of Local Food Systems: Phases I and II

There is growing interest in the re-localization of food systems. Farmers’ markets are important and increasingly prevalent sites of economic and social exchange in the evolution of local food systems. Little is understood, however, about the role of farmers’ markets in fostering increased local production and consumption, or the broader impacts of these social economy enterprises on the communities (both urban and rural) and regions with which they are associated. This research project over two phases will examine and compare the current and potential role of farmers’ markets in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, as social economy drivers for local food systems.BC-Alberta Social Economy Research Alliance (BALTA) ; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC

The urban edge: The role of urban student organic farms in raising awareness of food system inequities

A small handful of agricultural universities are located in large urban centers (populations greater than 500,000) in North America. Urban, university-affiliated teaching farms provide unique opportunities to educate students as well as the broader community about agroecosystems, food production, urban/local/global food systems, and diverse and healthy diets. In particular, such venues provide valuable opportunities for collaboration with urban communities, including low-income, immigrants and refugees, and at-risk youth. This case study will discuss the innovative programming at three urban, university-affiliated farms: the University of Minnesota (UMN), the University of British Columbia (UBC), and the Ohio State University (OSU). We will provide examples upon which others can draw to enhance their own university-community partnerships in urban food systems

Research priorities for global food security under extreme events

Extreme events threaten the production and supply of food around the world. They create cascading and systemic impacts posing significant challenges to food systems research and policy alike. However, research teams and policymakers are not tackling these connections and are developing solutions in isolation. We bring together experts to prioritize threats to global food security from extreme events as well as research. Our findings illustrate the importance of coordinated design, adoption, and governance of food systems for resilience

Variabilidade climática, modos de vida agrícola e segurança alimentar no Semiárido brasileiro

Climate change and variability are among the main threats to socio-ecological sustainability in many semi-arid regions of the world and are of special concern to resource-poor family farmers. In the Brazilian semi-arid region, high levels of social vulnerability in addition to predicted climate events can adversely affect subsistence crops and other cultivated areas with serious consequences for rural food security. An extreme drought that started in 2010 left 174 (of 184) municipalities in the northeastern state of Ceará, Brazil, in a situation of emergency in 2012. During the period of drought, we studied household production characteristics, sources of water for domestic consumption, perception of temperature change and the relationship of those variables with perceived food security. Food security was associated to the presence of piped water and to the diversity of livestock owned by the household. In addition to the importance of observing the role of those variables in public policies related to food security and regional development in the semi-arid region of Brazil, we also highlight the need of understanding the local context where those policies are implemented and the types of local adaptations being performed during periods of shock, which will be recurrent in a scenario of climate change.La variabilidad y el cambio climático son algunas de las principales amenazas a la sostenibilidad delmedio ambiente en muchas áreas semiáridas del mundo, y son de particular interés para los pequeñosagricultores con recursos limitados. En la región semiárida de Brasil, los altos niveles de vulnerabilidadsocial, junto con los eventos climáticos previstos, pueden afectar negativamente a los cultivos desubsistencia y a zonas de cultivo con graves consecuencias para la seguridad alimentaria rural. Unasequía extrema, que comenzó en 2010, dejó 174 (184) municipios en el estado de Ceará, Brasil, enestado de emergencia en 2012. Durante la sequía, se estudiaron las características productivas de loshogares, fuentes de agua para el consumo doméstico, percepción de los cambios de temperatura y larelación de estas variables con la percepción de seguridad alimentaria y la nutricional. La seguridadalimentaria se asoció con la presencia de agua corriente y la variedad de animales existentes porhogar. Además de la importancia de observar el papel de estas variables en las políticas públicasrelacionadas con la seguridad alimentaria y el desarrollo regional en zonas semiáridas de Brasil, seplantea la importancia de comprender el contexto local donde se implementan estas políticas y lostipos de medidas de adaptación utilizadas durante los períodos eventos extremos, ya que serán máscomunes en un escenario de cambio climático.A variabilidade e as mudanças no clima estão entre as principais ameaças para a sustentabilidadesocioambiental em muitas áreas semiáridas do mundo, e são de especial preocupação para agricultoresfamiliares com limitação de recursos. Na região semiárida do Brasil, os altos níveis de vulnerabilidadesocial, em conjunto com os previstos eventos climáticos, podem afetar adversamente culturas desubsistência e áreas de cultivo com consequências sérias sobre a segurança alimentar rural. Uma secaextrema, que iniciou em 2010, deixou 174 (de 184) municípios no estado do Ceará, Brasil, em estadode emergência em 2012. Durante o período de seca, foram estudadas características produtivas dodomicílio, fontes de água para consumo doméstico, percepção de mudanças de temperatura e a relaçãode tais variáveis com a percepção de segurança alimentar e nutricional. A segurança alimentar foiassociada com a presença de água encanada e a variedade de animais existentes por domicílio. Alémda importância em observar o papel dessas variáveis em políticas públicas relacionadas com segurançaalimentar e desenvolvimento regional em locais semiáridos do Brasil, é levantada a importância de seentender o contexto local onde tais políticas são implementadas e os tipos de medidas de adaptaçãoutilizadas durante períodos de eventos extremos, uma vez que serão mais recorrentes em um cenáriode mudanças climáticas

A trait–environment relationship approach to participatory plant breeding for organic agriculture

The extent of intraspecific variation in trait–environment relationships is an open question with limited empirical support in crops. In organic agriculture, with high environmental heterogeneity, this knowledge could guide breeding programs to optimize crop attributes. We propose a three-dimensional framework involving crop performance, crop traits, and environmental axes to uncover the multidimensionality of trait–environment relationships within a crop. We modeled instantaneous photosynthesis (Asat) and water-use efficiency (WUE) as functions of four phenotypic traits, three soil variables, five carrot (Daucus carota) varieties, and their interactions in a national participatory plant breeding program involving a suite of farms across Canada. We used these interactions to describe the resulting 12 trait–environment relationships across varieties. We found one significant trait–environment relationship for Asat (taproot tissue density–soil phosphorus), which was consistent across varieties. For WUE, we found that three relationships (petiole diameter–soil nitrogen, petiole diameter–soil phosphorus, and leaf area–soil phosphorus) varied significantly across varieties. As a result, WUE was maximized by different combinations of trait values and soil conditions depending on the variety. Our three-dimensional framework supports the identification of functional traits behind the differential responses of crop varieties to environmental variation and thus guides breeding programs to optimize crop attributes from an eco-evolutionary perspective.Fil: Rolhauser, Andrés Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de Información; Argentina. University of Toronto; CanadáFil: Windfeld, Emma. University of Toronto; Canadá. University of Calgary; CanadáFil: Hanson, Solveig. University of British Columbia; CanadáFil: Wittman, Hannah. University of British Columbia; CanadáFil: Thoreau, Chris. University of British Columbia; CanadáFil: Lyon, Alexandra. Kwantlen Polytechnic University; Canadá. University of British Columbia; CanadáFil: Isaac, Marney E.. University of Toronto; Canad